1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a provisional prosthetic system and the surgical methods for utilizing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prostheses are commonly utilized to repair and/or replace damaged bone and tissue in the human body. For example, a knee prosthesis may be implanted to replace damaged or destroyed bone in the tibia and/or femur and to recreate the natural, anatomical articulation of the knee joint. To implant a prosthesis, orthopedic surgery is performed which requires the creation of an incision in the skin of the patient and may necessitate the retraction of surrounding tissue to provide the surgeon with access to the surgical site.
To facilitate the implantation of a prosthesis, modular prostheses may be utilized. Modular prostheses have several individual, distinct components which are connected together to form the final, implanted prosthesis. For example, a modular knee prosthesis may include individual femoral, tibial, and patellar components which are connected together to form the final, implanted knee prosthesis. Additionally, one component, e.g., a femoral implant in a modular knee prosthesis system, may be selected from several different femoral components having various configurations, all of which are included in the modular prosthesis system. By selecting the femoral component that best accommodates an individual patient's anatomy, the surgeon may assemble a prosthesis that more closely approximates the natural anatomy of the patient.
In addition to the final, implanted components of a modular prosthesis system, a modular prosthesis system may also include provisional components which replicate the size and shape of the final, implanted components of the modular prosthesis system. The use of provisional components provides the surgeon with the ability to test the ultimate configuration of the prosthesis prior to the implantation of the final components. By trialing, i.e., testing, the surgeon is able to determine whether the fit, alignment, and range of motion provided by the final prosthesis will approximate the patient's natural anatomy. Additionally, as many implants achieve some measure of press fit with the resected bone, it is important that the provisional components maintain similar stiffness to the implant so that implant fit to bone can be checked prior to implantation. To ensure that the provisional components accurately replicate the function of the final, implanted components, the provisional components are dimensionally equivalent to the implanted components and are frequently manufactured from the same material.